Garment shoulder support member adjustable for shoulder width

ABSTRACT

A lightweight and inexpensive shoulder support member for use with standard planar hangers is disclosed. The shoulder support member can support shoulders in a range of jacket sizes. The material and design of the shoulder support member allow it to be inexpensively and permanently marked with varying commercial advertisements. The shoulder support member is adapted to adjustably attach to an upper side and upper end portion of a planar garment hanger to support a shoulder of a particular garment. The shoulder support member comprises an elongate member which has an opening extending upwardly through a bottom side portion and lower end portions thereof. The elongate member can press on and over the upper side and upper end portions of the hanger so that outer end portions of the elongate member extend a selected and variable distance beyond the hanger to thereby better support the shoulder and weight of a particular garment. Most preferably the shoulder support member is made from plastic foam and has a foam filled interior portion through which the opening extends linearly.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] This invention relates to shoulder supports used with garment hangers to prevent stretching and deformation in the shoulders of a garment hung on the garment hanger. More particularly this invention relates to a shoulder support member which can be adjusted to accommodate and better support garments having shoulders of varying widths exceeding the width of a standard garment hanger.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The applicant is a tall and large man. He has found that few garment hangers have sufficient width to adequately support his jackets. Jackets returning from the cleaners on wire hangers are stretched and puckered on a mid central top portion. Even the wooden hangers in this closet which have extended thickness do not extend in width sufficiently so that their end portions support the shoulder pads in his jackets. He has found that varying styles of shoulder support members are available; however, none particularly extend shoulder width, and none facilitate supporting different garments having varying shoulder widths. What is needed is a shoulder support member which can support shoulders in a range of jacket sizes—beginning with a small size fitting a small women, and extending to a large size, fitting a large man.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

[0003] It is an object of this invention to disclose a shoulder support member which adequately supports the shoulders in a large jacket having a large shoulder width. It is an object of this invention to disclose a design for a shoulder support member which can adapt a standard wire or tubular hanger so that it can properly support and thereby eliminate fabric stretching and puckering on a top portion of a garment. The garment shoulder support member is adjustable to properly fit and thereby adequately support the shoulders in any size of a garment. It is yet a further object of this invention to disclose a universal shoulder support member which can fit wire coat hangers which are made of any diameter of wire, and which are of any design and shape. It is yet a further object of this invention to disclose a design for a shoulder support member which can be adjusted to fit the shoulder width of any garment; and which will accordingly, fully and properly support different garments having varying shoulder widths. It is a final object of this invention to disclose a shoulder support member which is designed to facilitate the dispersion of varying commercial advertisements. The garment shoulder support which is lighter in weight, less expensive to produce, and is less expensive to permanently mark with varying commercial advertisements.

[0004] One aspect of this invention provides for a shoulder support member adapted to adjustably attach to an upper side and upper end portion of a planar garment hanger, for supporting a shoulder of a particular garment. The shoulder support member comprises: an elongate member having a top side portion, a bottom side portion, an inner end portion, an outer end portion, and opposite side upright side portions; and, an opening extending upwardly through the bottom side portion and lower end portions of the elongate member. The elongate member can press on and over the upper side and upper end portions of the hanger so that the outer end portions of the elongate member extend a selected and variable distance beyond the hanger to thereby better support the shoulder and weight of a particular garment.

[0005] In a preferred aspect of this apparatus the shoulder support member is made from a plastic foam and the member has a foam filled interior portion extending between the end portions and side portions thereof. In this configuration the opening is an elongate linear opening extending through the plastic foam.

[0006] Various other objects, advantages and features of this invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

FIGURES OF THE INVENTION

[0007]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a two garment shoulder support members positioned on a garment hanger.

[0008]FIG. 2 is a plan view of one of the shoulder support members shown in FIG. 1.

[0009]FIG. 3 is an elevational view of one of the shoulder support members shown in FIG. 1.

[0010]FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view of the shoulder support member as viewed along line 5-5 on FIG. 3.

[0011]FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view of the shoulder support member as viewed along line 6-6 on FIG. 3.

[0012] The following is a discussion and description of the preferred specific embodiments of this invention, such being made with reference to the drawings, wherein the same reference numerals are used to indicate the same or similar parts and/or structure. It should be noted that such discussion and description is not meant to unduly limit the scope of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] Turning now to the drawings and more particularly to FIG. 1 we have a perspective view of two garment shoulder support members 20 positioned on a garment hanger 18. The shoulder support member 20 is adapted to adjustably attach to an upper side portion 16 and upper end portion 14 of a planar garment hanger 20, for supporting a shoulder 12 of a particular garment 10. The shoulder support member 20 comprises an elongate member 22 having a top side portion 24, a bottom side portion 26, an inner end portion 28, an outer end portion 30, and opposite side upright side portions 32. The elongate member 22 has an opening 34 extending upwardly through the bottom side portion 26 and lower end portions 14 of the elongate member 22. The elongate member 22 can then be pressed on and over the upper side 16 and upper end portions 14 of the hanger 18 so that the outer end portions 30 of the elongate member 22 extend a selected and variable distance beyond the hanger 18 to thereby better support a shoulder 12 and weight of a particular garment 10.

[0014] In a preferred embodiment of the invention the shoulder support member 20 is made from a plastic foam. The member 20 has a foam filled interior portion 36 extending between the end portions 28,30 and side portions 32 thereof. The opening 34 is an elongate linear opening extending through the plastic foam.

[0015] Most preferably, the top side portion 24 of the elongate member 22 is rounded to better and more evenly support the shoulder 12 and weight of the garment 10. And, the opposite upright side portions 32 are generally vertical for appearance of the shoulder support member 20. The vertical upright side portions 32 of the shoulder support member 20 also facilitate stamping an advertisement 38 thereon.

[0016] In the most preferred embodiment of the invention the hanger 18 used in conjunction therewith is made from wire which is bent. The opening 34 in the shoulder support member correspondingly has a width which is sufficiently narrower than the diameter of the wire so that the shoulder support member 20 will hold firmly, when pressed on and over the wire hanger 18. The opening 34 is deeper on the outer end portion 30 of the shoulder support member 20 than on the inner end portion 28 thereof to better cover the entire bent end portion of the hanger wire thereby more firmly attaching the shoulder support member 20 to the hanger 18. The opening 34 in the bottom side portion 26 of the shoulder support member 20 is sufficiently deep to cover the entire bent end portion 14 of the hanger wire.

[0017] While the invention has been described with preferred specific embodiments thereof, it will be understood that this description is intended to illustrate and not to limit the scope of the invention, which is defined by the following claims. 

I claim: 1) A shoulder support member adapted to adjustably attach to an upper side and upper end portion of a planar garment hanger, for supporting a shoulder of a particular garment, comprising: an elongate member having a top side portion, a bottom side portion, an inner end portion, an outer end portion, and opposite side upright side portions; and, having an opening extending upwardly through the bottom side portion and lower end portions of the elongate member; so that the elongate member can press on and over the upper side and upper end portions of the hanger so that the outer end portions of the elongate member extend a selected and variable distance beyond the hanger to thereby better support the shoulder and weight of a particular garment. 2) A shoulder support member as in claim 1 wherein the shoulder support member is made from a plastic foam and wherein the member has a foam filled interior portion 20 extending between the end portions and side portions thereof, and wherein said opening is an elongate linear opening extending through the plastic foam. 3) A shoulder support member as in claim 2 wherein the top side portion of the elongate member is rounded to better and more evenly support the shoulder and weight of the garment. 4) A shoulder support member as in claim 3 wherein the opposite upright side portions are generally vertical for appearance of the shoulder support member. 5) A shoulder support member as in claim 4 further comprising an advertisement stamped on the upright sides. 6) A shoulder support member as in claim 2 wherein the hanger is made from wire which is bent and wherein the opening has a width which is sufficiently narrower than the diameter of the wire so that the shoulder support member will hold firmly when pressed on and over the wire hanger. 7) A shoulder support member as in claim 4 wherein the opening in the bottom side portion of the shoulder support member is sufficiently deep to cover a substantial portion of the end portion of the hanger. 8) A shoulder support member as in claim 6 wherein the opening in the outer end portion of the shoulder support member is deeper than in the inner end portion thereof to better cover the entire bent end portion of the hanger wire thereby more firmly attaching the shoulder support member to the hanger. 9) A shoulder support member as in claim 6 wherein the opening in the bottom side portion of the shoulder support member is sufficiently deep to cover the entire bent end portion of the hanger wire. 